Fight or Flight
by DakotaLyon
Summary: preTFA: Maverick Zavari lives out her days helping her father train unskilled rebels to fight, something she has done her entire life. Maverick finds an unlikely friend with a certain X-Wing Pilot. Soon secrets from her past begin to unravel that reveal she might be more important in this new war than she ever thought and that a pilot might just be what she needs in her life.
1. Chapter 1

_**Well folks, here I am again, writing for a fandom I never imagined I would ever write for! But I'm going for it because I have so many ideas swirling around in my head its driving me crazy. Okay, now I love SW as much as everyone else but I'm not exactly up to par on my SW lingo so I'm going to try my damndest to get it right!**_  
 _ **This story takes place before TFA...**_

She watched from the front of the large, landscape room as the man wove in between the men and women that filled it. Each of them was paired up, sparring with one another, hand-to-hand. The man watched each and every single move that was made, scrutinizing the new students. She was also vigil, seeing if any of the students got sloppy but she kept her feet planted where they were. The man, their teacher, stopped occasionally to adjust an arm or show the proper way to make a certain strike.

"Marv! Use the heel of your palm! Tolko, remember to keep that arm at a right angle to help keep a decent amount of space between yourself and your attacker. Ah-ha! Very nice form, Halia! Use your opponent's energy against them."

These cheers of endearment from the man brought a small smile to the corner of her mouth. This was one of the many reasons his students loved and admired him. The man in question was older, yes, with thinning hair and a scruffy beard that was graying but he was broad and strong – body and mind. He treated his students like they were his own children. He was easy-going and friendly but also fierce and protective when he needed to be.

That was who Jerek Zavari was to the Resistance. Who his daughter, Maverick Zavari, esteemed to be. Not only was she Jerek's daughter, but she was also his mentee. That's why she stood and watched in silence. Because it was her day to watch, listen and analyze her father and learn from him. Although the title of 'Father' always came before the title of "Mentor". From a young age, Mavericks father taught her how to defend herself. Maverick didn't always see fighting as something violent. She looked at it as if it were an artform that needed to be mastered over time with practice and patience. Even though things were different now with all of the viciousness that this war with the Imperialists – who now went by the name of The First Order – brought. When Maverick turned eighteen, she begged her father to make her his mentee: to teach her more than just the basics and of course, special one-on-one training sessions. With reluctance, he agreed. Jerek _was_ the main trainer in combat skills for the Resistance after all, teaching them everything from hand-to-hand combat to how to shoot a blaster. Jerek wasn't the only trainer in combat, just the senior trainer. He started to bring Maverick to his classes, telling her to sit, be still, be quiet but most of all, be observant. And that's exactly what she did. Now seven years later – with several bumps, bruises and scars along the way– she was teaching these rebels on her own. Maverick even led small covert missions to planets with small groups of fighters to test their skills and see how they would handle themselves in a real fight scenario. They only dealt with things such as taking down pirates or dirty smugglers who allocated themselves with known enemies of the Resistance.

That was another reason why she wasn't helping with the sparring lessons today: she had a mission tomorrow and as she stood there, bare feet planted on the blue matted floor with arms crossed over her chest, her mind wandered to when, where and how everything would be executed. She'd come up with the plans herself, overlooked by her father, of course. So far, she had twenty-nine successful missions under her blaster belt. And she didn't intend on tomorrow's mission to interrupt that streak. It was the only thing she really had the right to brag about. Maverick and her father didn't have any specific rankings among those at the base, which left them both with low profiles which didn't bother her. It also meant no uniform, an added bonus. And because she had to go on so many covert missions, she really didn't have the rebellion symbol stitched or embroidered onto any of her clothing. Maybe one or two.

Maverick had gotten so lost in her thoughts, that she almost struck the person who had taken her off guard by lightly bumping her on the shoulder. But her composure relaxed once her eyes met the same dark green ones that looked down at her. Jerek held amusement in his gaze and some concern as she shook out her tense muscles before refolding her arms across her chest. When he wouldn't stop smirking and staring, she shoved him with her own shoulder.

"What were you thinking about, Bruiser?"

Maverick gave Jerek a sidelong look when he regarded her by her lifelong and humiliating nickname. It stemmed all the way back to her childhood memories on their home planet: a boy from her small village had to tried to kiss her and her response was to sucker punch him. The outcome had been a boy with a broken nose, black and blue eye for two weeks and a proud father.

" _Chip off the ole' block,"_ he had said after they had gotten back to their tiny house. The memory made her quirk her lips ever so slightly, though, her gaze continued to roam over the sparring pairs in front of her.

"I was just thinking of my combat mission tomorrow." She looked up at her father. "Has command told you anything else that we should anticipate?" Jerek shook his head in response to her question.

"Nothing has changed since the briefing last night. There will be one more tomorrow morning two hours before you set off with your team. One that you will be responsible of." Maverick nodded, making the small bun at the nap of her neck brush against her skin. They both turned their heads back to the room in front of them.

The mission was to get surveillance on a ring of pirates who were somehow getting fuel. _Lots of fuel_. They needed to find out where they were getting this fuel from and _who_ they might be selling it to for a pretty sum of units. Once they were able to retrieve this information, then they were to take out their operation and get as much of that fuel for the Resistance as possible. Fuel was getting harder and harder to come by these days, what with the new Imperialists using most of it to power their Stardestroyers and other, larger fleets. The Resistance needed them for transports, frigates, fighters, bombers, emergency evac ships, cargos… the list goes on and on.

"Is your team ready for a mission like this?" Jerek asked, skepticism in his voice. "This one is slightly different than all the others. We aren't dropping you off in a situation that's already blown out of proportion and you run out with blasters blazing. This mission is stealth, interrogation and combat." Maverick placed her hands on her hips, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

"Yes, I am aware of that and I'm confident they're ready."

"And you?" Maverick started at the question and looked up at her father with knitted brows. "Are you ready for a mission of this capacity? It's alright if you're not. I can—

"I'm ready." She cut Jerek off before he could finish. _I can take over the mission if you want_ , is what he was going to say. She was annoyed and a little offended he had even tried to ask that. Maverick felt like she had taken down much worse than some pirates smuggling fuel. Granted, this mission required a little more precision and strategy than just throwing some punches and pulling the trigger of a blaster. That's what made this mission a landmark. It would show that she was more than just a fighter. She felt her father staring down at her but she just kept her gaze on the class. Her eyes stopped on a pair: a male with green tinted skin and a human male. Hand-to-hand, they exchanged blocks and hits. In a swift movement, the human male gained the upper hand and flipped his opponent onto his back, hitting the mats with a _smack._ Maverick let out a sigh and walked over to the two men. The green male was still on the floor and panting by the time she reached them. When he saw her, he made a move to get up but Maverick stuck out her hand signaling him to stay where he was. He dropped back down to the mat, staring up at the ceiling. Maverick turned to the man still standing.

"Naral, correct?" she asked with a small jerk of her chin.

"Yes, Ma'am." Maverick usually only had the trainee's call her that on missions but she was growing used to it. "Okay, Naral. You did well. You got a little sloppy at some points and I'm guessing a bit of fatigue was catching up with you but you regained your composure to make your final move." She looked down at the green skinned male. "Uoala?" The male opened his eyes to reveal dark orbs that stared back up at her. He gave her a curt nod in acknowledgment. "You also did well." Uoala propped himself up on his elbows and Maverick squatted down so that she was eye level with him. "But just because your down doesn't always mean that your fight is over." She gestured for him to scoot over on the mat and Maverick placed herself where he just was a second ago. She looked over to Uoala.

"This is a little bit advanced for beginner training but I don't mind teaching the cool stuff ahead of time every now and then," she said giving him a smirk. Uoala smiled back showing off two rows of fine pointed teeth. "When attacking from the ground, you want to judge your distance between yourself and your opponent. In this case," she paused to look up, "Naral is directly above you." Naral stared down at them looking a little unnerved. Maverick turned her attention back to herself, her own body posture. She laid fully on her back on the mat. She continued to talk to Uoala in a slightly quieter tone.

"You're going to use both feet to give a kick square in the chest, bracing your forearms and using your hips for momentum and power." Before either man could take their next breath, Maverick braced the back of her forearms on the mat, locking her legs tightly together and lifted up off the ground with her hips. The soles of her feet projected straight for Naral's chest and he let out a grunt of discomfort and stumbled slightly when her feet made the connection. Still braced on her forearms, Maverick hooked her right foot behind Naral's knee and brought him down. Uoala shot straight up, staring at Naral with wide eyes. Maverick turned her head to him and smiled.

"Something like that," she said, her voice steady and a bit elated from the adrenaline. Uoala just nodded and they both stood up. She looked down at Naral, her smile dimming. He was lucky that she didn't apply all her momentum into that kick or else he'd have a fractured sternum. She extended a hand down to him. "No hard feelings, I hope?" Naral slapped his hand in hers and she hoisted him to his feet. He slightly rubbed his chest but let out a small laugh.

"No, Ma'am." Maverick placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a closed lip smile.

"Alright everyone! Good work today!" Jerek's voice boomed loudly through the large room. "Remember that there will be no training tomorrow due to the mission with the senior combat students. I'm also cancelling class the day after, so go and get some rest. You've all earned it."

Maverick gave Uoala and Naral small nods with a smile as they left the training area along with all the others.

"Very nice demonstration, Bruiser," Jerek said as he walked over to her. His tone was dripping with sarcasm. Her father didn't exactly like it when she did something unexpected during class. She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips as she turned to face him.

"Well, sometimes they need to see how the professionals do it so that they have the motivation to execute something like it one day themselves." She flashed her father a brilliant white smile. A baritone laugh escaped Jerek's throat.

"Of course, my dear Mentee. But from a father's point of view, maybe you should stop hurting men all the time or else that smile would capture every one of their hearts."

"Kriff! Dad!" she gave him a playful punch in the arm. Jerek only laughed harder. Maverick had actually been in a relationship. A long one. But things just didn't, no, couldn't work out. Maverick was still training, still learning and when she was in the relationship. She thought what she felt was love but what she actually felt was trapped. Jerek must have noticed Maverick's attention was wavering because he nipped her under the chin with his finger. She laughed and swatted his hand away.

"That smile and that laugh. It's how your Mother captured my own heart, you know."

Maverick's smile faltered at the mention of her mother, Haleen. She died back on their home plant when Maverick was only six years old. Maverick thought of her mother every night before she fell asleep so that she wouldn't forget certain things about her: her voice and laugh, pale brown eyes, her soft, dark brunette wavy hair which she had passed on to Maverick. Her mother had always worn her hair long and flowing free, which is why Maverick always kept her waves shoulder length and usually pulled back at the nape of her neck. Maverick cleared her throat before speaking and focused back on her father, changing the subject.

"It's nearly time for dinner and I'm sure that Nora is cooking something delicious. Go. Get a head start home for the evening. I'll clean this place up." Jerek gave his daughter a small smile and leaned forward, giving her a feather light kiss on her temple.

"Thank you, Mav." She nodded and he turned to leave. The moment he walked out the door, she closed her eyes tight to hold back the threat of tears and took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly. Nora was Maverick's step-mother. She and Jerek had met her a few years after they had joined the Rebellion. Nora was a lovely woman and she had been with Jerek for so long now that Maverick would always consider her family. She also happened to be the mother of Maverick's ten-year-old half-sister, Eva. Though Nora tried very hard to be that mother figure Maverick never had growing up, she couldn't fill that void within her life.

Maverick pulled herself back to reality and went to grab a bucket and mop. She cleaned the floor mats and once they dried, she folded them up and stored them away in one of the set-in wall cabinets. Once that was done, she dumped the disgusting mop water into the large mop sink in an attached storage room and then padded across the concrete floor to put her boots on. She laced the old beat up shoes loosely and then locked up the training room for the evening. Walking out into the hall, there were no windows to show the sun that was getting lower in the sky and all Maverick wanted was to breathe in some fresh air. She walked down the different halls of the Resistance base, passing by several people, to whom she gave curt acknowledgments. Just as she reached up and pulled her hair free of her bun, several loud alarms rang out. Maverick froze and looked around the hallway. She was alone. Her hand instinctively went to the blaster that was strapped to her thigh. A loud voice rang out from the speakers above:

"BLACK SQUADRON REPORT TO THE HANGAR IMMEDIATELY. ALL OTHER AUTHORIZED AND NEEDED PERSONNEL REPORT AS WELL."

Maverick's hand relaxed away from her blaster but her heart rate remained rapid. She couldn't help thinking to herself that D-Qar could be under attack and the fighters were headed out as the first line of defense to buy some time. She thought of her father, Nora and Eva. The panic was overwhelming and Maverick felt sick. She leaned against the wall and put her head down.

"Stop it," she whispered to herself. "Nothing is wrong. The base is secure. The fighters get called out all the time. It's no different than the other fifty-thousand times you've heard them get called out so snap out of it, Laserbrain." Maverick took two steadying breaths before standing up straight again. Even after so many years of what happened on her home planet, she was still paranoid about never being safe. She let out a grunt of annoyance and turned to walk again but the sound of fast approaching footsteps echoing behind her made her stop again. Just as she looked over her shoulder, several men and women in uniform and orange jumpers rounded one of the corners. There were several exits out of the base from here and it just so happened Maverick and the needed personnel were going the same way. Maverick moved out of the way, back against the wall again.

They rushed by Maverick, not even giving her so much as a glance to acknowledge her presence. Within the group, Astromechs were at their feet, charging forward in a borage of whirring and beeping, following their masters. Eva came to Mavericks mind as she looked at each of the Astromechs. Her sister loved the droids and wanted one of her own someday.

"Let's move, Black Squadron!" a voice commanded loudly, bringing Maverick out of her little reverie. She looked up to the owner of the voice and thought it was quite comical because he seemed to be the squadrons leader, due to his orange jumper, yet he was the one lagging behind. A series of high toned beeps and blips came from down the hall and the man stopped in his tracks, a few steps away from where Maverick stood, to turn towards an Astromech that was whirring down the hall.

"C'mon Buddy, we need to go!"

The Astromech, a BB unit, let out another series of beeps that let his master know that it wasn't _his_ fault they were behind the group. Maverick covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile. She had never heard an astromech talk like that to his or her master before. The BB unit, though, sped up a little faster to reach his master. In a matter of seconds, the little droid whirred past her and the pilot. He turned to follow but stopped when he saw Maverick standing against the wall. She dropped her hand from her mouth, smile wiped from her face. With his face turned completely towards her, she had a moment to actually look at him. Handsome.

As soon as the thought filled her head, she wanted to slap herself. Pilots were nothing but trouble, cocky and arrogant. Exactly the kind of thing she didn't need in her life after her last nightmare of a relationship. It was probably odd for him to see someone around the base not in a uniform of some kind to identify who they were but he nonetheless gave her a quick nod of thanks for letting them all pass by. Maverick returned the nod and the pilot sprinted away. Once he disappeared around the corner at the end of the hall, she let out a breath she hasn't realized she'd been holding. _Handsome and considerate._ She huffed out a small cynical laugh. Her father would never approve of a pilot. She pushed away from the wall and was surprised by how tense her body had become. Maverick did little exercises to relax her muscles as she continued to walk towards her exit. Finally, she reached the door to the outside world.

Maverick burst through the door and stood outside with her head held high. The setting sun kissed her face, warming her chilled skin. The fresh air helped relax the rest of her tense muscles as she inhaled deeply. The sky had turned to different shades of purple, red and pink as the darkness of night approached. Maverick walked and as she crested a grassy hill on her way, she heard the roar of engines from behind her. Just as she turned, shielding her eyes from the last bright rays of sunshine, several X-Wings flew overhead, still close to the ground. Strong gusts of wind tore through the air around Maverick, making her hair whip in all directions and ruffling her clothes. She turned back around, pushing the hair out of her face and watched the X-Wings ascend towards the planet's atmosphere. She stared at them until they were tiny specks and then disappeared altogether.

"Good Luck and may the Force be with you," she whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

As Maverick walked home, she savored the warmth of the setting sun on her back. Extending her arm out, she let her fingers brush against the lush, waxy leaves of the forests' greenery. Usually she and her father would use their speeders to get to the base because the weather was almost always the same on D'Qar: hot and humid with the occasional rain shower. Though today had proven otherwise. Even though the weather was formidable, Maverick couldn't deny how beautiful D'Qar was the farther away from the base she got. It somewhat reminded her of her home planet. Both had luscious green plants, forests filled with trees as tall as the sky, crystal blue lakes and caves. Oh, the caves. Maverick felt like she had explored every cave on her old home world. She would stuff a pack with supplies and sneak out of the house, ready to chart the next cave with a piece of kohl on parchment. She'd always give each cave a special and unique name. Her parents never liked it when she went on these little adventures, especially when she'd come home with a nasty cut or fresh bruise.

The one person that Maverick knew she could count on to hear about her latest discovery was her brother. Mason. He had been two years older than Maverick but age never split them apart. He never had as much free time as Maverick because he was always helping their father out in the fields. Though, every once in a while, he would find a way to get out of his chores and he and Maverick would run off to the closest cave, exploring together. Their parents had started to get stricter with their rules when the two siblings came home and Mason showed up to dinner with a bloody chin from slipping on a rock inside a cave. Maverick had felt horrible that Mason got injured but her brother had just shrugged it off and told her to think of all of the girls he'd attract by showing off his 'cool scar'. Not even a year after that incident, everything had changed because _they_ had come to their planet…

Maverick finally got to the end of the forest trail which opened up to a small clearing where a small concrete and brick house stood. Lights blazed from the windows and the only sounds to be heard were the forest bugs clicking and chirping. Their house was small but it was away from the base. Maverick still had her own little quarters on sight if she ever needed to stay late or just to concentrate for a class or mission. But _this_ was her home. She walked up to the front door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. She shrugged off her light cargo jacket and hung it up. Delicious smells wove through the air from the kitchen. Kicking off her boots, she headed towards the smell of food. She got two steps into the tiny hallway until something smashed into her legs and waist, almost knocking Maverick onto the ground.

"Mavi!" a voice cried cheerfully from below while arms wrapped around her waist and squeezed tight. Maverick let out a laugh and looked down into big brown eyes and a mess of blonde hair. Eva smiled back up at her with tiny white teeth that weren't quite straight.

"Hello to you too, Eva. I thought I'd never get to see you today! Father kept me busy every minute of every hour!"

"What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!" her father echoed from somewhere in the house. Maverick rolled her eyes before bending down and swooping Eva into her arms. Maverick always forgot how much Eva had grown over the years until she picked her up like this. Her sister giggled wildly as Maverick spun around a couple time before walking to the kitchen, Eva wrapping her legs around her waist and resting her head on Maverick's shoulder.

"Mama! Papa! Mavi's home!" Eva announced as they entered the little alcove that served as their kitchen that connected to a slightly larger room that was a living area. The smell of food was stronger and it made Maverick's stomach growl, reminding her that she'd barely eaten all day.

"Thank you for that lovely declaration, Eva, My Love," Nora said as she looked up from the pot she was stirring on the stove top to look at the two sisters. Nora sent a smile Maverick's way, that crinkled her forehead and formed little crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. "Hello, My Dear. I really hope your day wasn't _that_ dreadful." Her smile widened as she looked over Maverick's shoulder to Jerek who lunged in the living area. He just gave a loud _harrumph_ and kept scrolling through a data pad.

"Just a tad," Maverick joked. She walked to the counter and set Eva on the edge, her sister unraveling her limbs to sit. "Did you help your mother around the house today?" Eva gave Maverick that toothy grin again.

"Yeah! We planted a whole bunch of new stuff out in the garden. A lot of them I can't even pronounce," Eve mused. Then her face turned mischievous and with a slim finger beckoned Maverick closer. Eva cupped her hands around her mouth and whispered. "I had some free time today and finished something new for you." Maverick pulled away and looked at her sister with raised brows. Eva may only be ten years old but ever since she was a tadpole she could build things out of odd objects she would find. Since she knew of Mavericks fascination with cave exploration, Eva had made her quite a few clever and handy items. Maverick put an index finger to her lip and mouthed, " _Later"._ Eva covered her huge smile with her hands and slipped off the counter. Maverick turned and walked over to Nora. She planted a light kiss on the older woman head.

"Everything smells delicious, Nora." The woman turned and gave Maverick a kind smile.

"Thank you, Dear."

Maverick helped Nora with whatever she could to get dinner on the table. Soon all four of them were sitting around the table, talking about each other's days, enjoying the food and company.

"Mavi, are you going away again tomorrow?" Eva asked timidly. Her sister knew that Maverick went away and knew bits and pieces about what she did but Jerek and Nora didn't want someone so young to worry. Maverick agreed with her parents because couldn't let this war corrupt Eva's mind. At least, for now. Maverick set her utensils down and folded her hands on the table and looked at her sister across from her.

"Yes, I am going away tomorrow. Probably all day but I will be back." Maverick could feel Nora and Jerek's tense feelings about the subject. "Come to my room later so we can spend some time together, okay?" Eva gave her a small smile and continued to eat. Maverick chanced a glance over at her father but he only stared at his plate, eating quietly. Nora cleared her throat.

"Jerek. Don't you want to tell Mav about the meeting?" Maverick sat up a bit straighter in her chair and looked from Nora to her Father.

"What meeting?" she prompted. Jerek looked up from his dinner.

"Nora and I will be meeting with the General by the end of the week. She has asked to speak to us about a certain… matter. I will be cancelling class and have you come up with a blaster exercise but you'll also need to watch over Eva for the day we are to meet with her." Maverick's brain stopped processing any information after her father had said _The General_. "Maverick?"

"The General?" she asked, excitement rising in her voice. "As in _the_ General? General Organa?" Maverick was in disbelief and bewilderment. Yes, Maverick led small covert operations with intel provided from General's inner circle and most of the people she and her father trained went on to more elite groups on the base but she had never actually _met_ the General herself. Seen her, yes. Met, no. Her father only nodded in confirmation to her question. "Well, what – what in the Galaxy could she possibly want to talk to you about?" Her father exchanged a quick look with Nora and Maverick's excitement dropped a bit.

"I'm sorry, Mav but I'm afraid I can't say. I honestly don't really know what or how much I can tell her." Jerek saw the disappointment in his daughter's face. "I will be able to tell you everything after we meet with her." Maverick waved a dismissive hand in the air.

"Alright, alright. I'll wait. Not very patiently though," she said giving her father a smirk.

"But you'll be able to look after Eva for the day when it comes? Nora asked.

"Oh, yeah of course." Maverick tapped her fingers on the rough wooden table and bit her lip before adding, "Maybe I can take her to the base…."

"Maver—"

"Yes!" Eva shouted cheerfully. Maverick's father gave her warning look but she only focused back on Eva and winked.

Later, Maverick washed up and changed into her sleeping clothes. She collapsed onto her bed, her head sinking into her soft pillow. The darkness of the night shrouded the small bedroom. Her eyes began to flutter but there was a small knock on her door. The door cracked open and Eva squeezed into the room, letting in dim lighting from the hallway. Eva held a powered lamp in one hand and small bag in the other. Maverick made room for her sister on the bed and they both sat cross-legged with the lamp in between them. Eva dug into the bag and pulled out a small metal orb and then a small rectangular box with a screen.

"When Mama went fishing, I was able to finally finish this." Eva picked up the port screen. It had a small black antenna that stuck out from the top corner and her sister had done a good job hiding whatever wiring there was in the back of the screen by a homemade panel from scrap metal. Eva may only be ten years old but she could scavenge anything and manage to turn it into _something_. Maybe not always useful but the kid had a knack for building things and understanding how they worked. Eva always talked about owning the best astromech in the Galaxy someday, built by her own two hands. Even this young, she was able to somewhat understand the language of the droids.

"Okay. So what is it?" Maverick asked.

"There's a small switch on the side here." The port screen suddenly flashed to life. She held it so that it faced her sister. "This and _this_ ," she picked up the small orb, "communicate to each other." Eva touched one of the tabs on the screen and the orb lit up in some places, letting them know that it was online. "This orb has small accelerometers so that it is able to move on its own but you have to activate it with the screen." Maverick was perplexed but still didn't know where this was going.

"Eva, this all very amazing but what am I going to use this for?"

"For your cave explorations! The Orb has a scanning system built in and it'll map out any interior structure. It then feeds that information back to the screen and makes out a holo map. Look, I've already mapped out the house." Eva chose a file and sure enough, there was a map of their tiny ramshackle of a home. There was a tiny red dot blinking on the screen.

"What's that?"

"That's us! Like I said, the orb and the screen communicate, so if you're in a cave system and lose your sense of direction, you can always see where you are and find the fastest way out! No more charcoal and parchment maps!" Maverick let out a laugh. She did like the sound of that. And this little piece of equipment could prove very useful for more than just cave systems. Maverick leaned over the lamp and hugged Eva.

"Thank you. This is truly wonderful. I can't wait to use it myself."

"Maybe when Mama and Papa go to that meeting…" Maverick chuckled.

"Maybe." Maverick turned the screen off and put it and the orb back inside the bag and set it aside. She turned the lamp off and placed on the floor. She moved so that Eva could lay down on the bed beside her.

"You'll be safe tomorrow, right?" Eva's voice sounded very small within the dark. Maverick opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. She didn't want to lie and tell her that _'Yes, I'll be perfectly safe. Other than the pirates that have guns and other possible deadly weapons that could kill me.'_ So instead, she leaned over and gave her a kiss on the temple goodnight. Then she lay back down, closing her eyes and thought about her mother.

* * *

That morning, Maverick woke up early and got dressed in her combat clothes. She wore slim black trousers with moto pads on her knees and thighs to soften any impacts. She slipped on a plain black long sleeve and a dark forest green cargo vest with a high collar. She French braided her hair back into four sections. She donned her utility belt that had several pouches of varying sizes and a blaster holster that secured to her thigh. Maverick picked out a hidden key and knelt before a chest that she always kept locked. With a click, she lifted the lid revealing her own personal combat weapons. She grabbed a small bag and filled it up. The only thing she didn't put in the bag was her blaster, which she secured in her holster. Zipping up her pack, she headed out of the house. Nora and Eva were still asleep and she knew her father was already at the base. Maverick zipped up her vest halfway to stave off the morning chill and strapped her pack to the back of her speeder. She reached into a small compartment on the vehicle and took out a pair of googles. She put them on and then straddled the seat, revving the speeders engine. With a twist of the throttle she headed off in the direction of the base.

Along they way, her com went off but she couldn't steer and talk on the com at the same time. When she didn't answer the first time, the com kept going off. Maverick almost unhooked it from her belt and threw it into the jungle. When she finally reached the perimeter of the base, she parked her speeder. Just as she cut off the engine, her com went off again. With a frustrated groan, she shoved her goggled onto her forehead before she ripped the com off her belt and pressed the small call button.

"Zavari here."

"Maverick."

It was her father. And he didn't seem happy. She closed her eyes and leaned her head skyward, spitting out a curse and then held the device back to her lips.

"Dad. I just got to the base. I'll be there in record ti—"

"There's been a last-minute change. The briefing's been switched from the training room to war room three located in center command." Maverick couldn't contain the grunt of annoyance. Yes, it was a small inconvenience, but an inconvenience none the less. Maverick hated going anywhere near the portals of the subterranean base near center command. Mostly because it was the busiest place on site – always crowded and loud – and she usually never had any business being there…. Which meant she didn't exactly know her way around. Sighing she spoke into the com again.

"Okay, yeah I'll be there soon."

"Good. Zavari out."

Maverick clicked the com back onto her belt and then whipped off her googles throwing them back in the compartment. She slung her bag over her shoulder and jogged toward the base, the sounds of speeders moving around equipment and commands being called across the grounds grew louder with each step. When her feet met the concrete ground of the base, Maverick slowed to a walk, a small sweat across her brow. She wiped it away with her sleeve as she headed towards the portals of the base near the landing fields. She was now surrounded by people who belonged to this part of the base – technicians, lieutenants, commanders – all people of status, Maverick kept her head up high and her stride filled with purpose. But her footsteps faltered and the breath in her lungs hitched. Across the landing field stood Liam Calvarro, the one man she had though she loved for what she liked to think of as a very long time ago. As if sensing her stare, Liam looked up and caught sight of her. He said something to the other men he was with and headed her way. As soon as he took those first strides in her direction, Maverick found the will to move her legs again. She looked down at her boots, keeping him in her peripheral vision. He started to walk faster, so she did too. She heard him call her name. Ignoring him, Maverick fell into step behind some officers while some other officials surrounded her from behind, all of them walking in the same direction. She kept following the officers into one of the portals that led to the depths of the base. Maverick chanced a glance over her shoulder and found him standing at the mouth of the portal, something similar to disappointment in his stare. Maverick whipped her head back around and stared at the back of the brown uniform in front of her.

' _The mission, the mission, the mission. Focus on the mission,'_ she thought continuously to herself. The officers in front of her flanked off and Maverick stopped short when the portal opened up into the large area that was central command. Stations were filled with people reading star maps, pointing things out on data pads, or huddled in little clusters deep in conversation.

Keeping as close to the wall as possible, Maverick stepped farther into the large room which had tree roots climbing up the walls and vines growing on the ceiling. In the epicenter of the enormous chamber was a large, round holoprojector which had something on display as Maverick approached. She had never seen something so large projected out in the open before and she found herself in awe. There were admirals and other officers surrounding the holoprojector, but there was no sign of the General herself. Maverick couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. But her disappointment vanished because while all of these people were discussing plans of their own, Maverick should be in a room discussing hers with her team. Panic swept through her. She took a couple steps forward but realized she had no clue where to go.

Across the way in central command, Poe Dameron and his squadron were altogether putting together a brief report on last night's call out. It was a dead end on some information they had received from an intelligence group the resistance had sent out weeks earlier. They ended up finding several deserted ships with no signs of life, just floating in endless black space. The elite fighter pilot started wondering to himself if he should tell the General that one of her intelligence teams wasn't exactly… well, intelligent. His own team didn't have the time to waste looking into abandoned ships in the middle of nowhere. Poe was leaning against the wall, ankles crossed, as his squadron sat in a circle with chairs they had pulled together. Jess Pava held a data pad in her hands, typing in anything that the rest of the squad could provide for a suitable report. Poe zoned out from what his fellow pilot, C'ai Threnalli was saying and looked over at the holoprojector where Admiral Statura stood with several others studying a holo of an old mining planet that they had suspicions of the First Order laying down a new base. They would probably send a team out there for recon once they had enough solid evidence. Poe's eyes roamed away from the holo and landed on a slender figure standing across the room near the far wall. The woman wasn't dressed in a jumper or a uniform. Just plain clothing with a bag slung over her right shoulder. His gaze landed on the blaster that was holstered to her thigh: an A180. That pistol had three different configurations other than its regular use as a gun. Impressive. Blaster aside, Poe couldn't help but notice the very confused look on the woman's face. A face that also seemed somewhat familiar but he couldn't quite remember where he'd seen her before.

"Poe? Uh, hello?" a hand passed in front of his face, which made his head jerk back and hit the wall. His squadron snickered and he winced as he rubbed the now sore spot on the back of his skull. Several high-pitched beeps came from the droid who was idle by his feet. Poe looked down at BB-8.

"I was listening," he volleyed back at the astromech who responded with some low sarcastic blips.

"I gotta agree with Beebee on this one," Snap Wexley said from his seat. He turned his head in the direction that Poe had been looking and let out a whistle. "You were _so_ not listening." The squadron all shared another small laugh but Snap earned a slap on the thigh from fellow pilot – and wife – Karé Kun.

"Oh, yeah you're all real funny," he said with dry humor. Though he looked back over to the woman and found himself distracted by her familiar face. "You guys got the report from here, right?" he didn't wait for anyone to answer before pushing off the wall and walk to the other side of central command.

Maverick had been so concentrated on the different doors in the vast area to pick from that she hadn't realized someone had walked up to her until they spoke.

"Excuse me."

Maverick whipped around, almost tripping over her own feet in the process. Maverick's eyes were met by the bright orange of a flight jumper. She looked up to the face of the pilot that had acknowledged her just last night as he was headed out on a call. All the seriousness from before was gone and the Pilot stood in front of her nonchalantly with his hands on his hips. His dark brown curls were a mess atop his head and he had a bit of stubble covering his chin and cheeks. There were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. His brown eyes were warm as they roamed over her face. Maverick realized she was just staring at him like a kriffing idiot and let him stand there waiting for a response. It didn't seem to bother him though. The Pilot's eyes gleamed a bit brighter as his smile broadened and spoke again.

"I'm sorry but I was over there with my squadron," he said give a small glance over his shoulder to the group of pilots huddled together which Maverick regarded quickly, "and I couldn't help but notice that you look a little confused." Maverick could feel the threat of embarrassment creeping up on her and failed at hiding it. She let out a small laugh and placed her palm on her forehead.

"That obvious, huh?" she shifted on her feet, feeling the need to move.

"Just a bit," he replied light heartedly. Maverick dropped her hand to her side and looked around the room.

"I don't exactly come in here. Ever." The Pilot quirked an eyebrow which made Maverick's stomach want to twist in a small knot. She cleared her throat and added, "So you could say I'm a little out of my element right now."

The Pilot's face lit up, mouth opening in a silent affirmative " _Ah"_ and gave her a quick nod. Maverick couldn't tell if he recognized her from the night before but she wasn't about to ask. She just needed to ask where the damn war room was but the question kept escaping her every time she looked back at the man in front of her. There was a carefree air about him that made Maverick forget she had a job to do.

"Well, you're in luck because this happens to be _my_ element," he said, a corner of his lips tugging upward as he crossed his arms over his chest. Maverick quirked an eyebrow and bit the inside of her cheek to prevent from smiling back but failed. At least he was willing to help her in this disastrous moment.

"Well in that case, if you could point me in the right direction of war room three, that would be absolutely fantastic because I am officially late for my briefing." She almost winced at the word 'late'. She had never been late to one of her own mission briefings. The Pilot's eyebrows drew together and a quizzical look overcame his face.

"Briefing? Are you part of an intelligence team? Or a recon team?" Maverick couldn't help but hear the waver in his voice when he mentioned the intelligence team. Maverick shook her head and gave him a small smile, although her patience was wearing thin.

"No, not exactly. Look, I really –"

"Zavari!" the loud baritone voice boomed from behind her. Maverick cringed. The Pilot was staring over her shoulder, a concerned frown on his face. And with a quick glance around the room, he wasn't the only person looking. Red bloomed on her cheeks as Maverick turned to face her father. He stood next to an open door, his large hands were on his hips his feet firmly planted on the floor. His eyes bore into her own, only glancing for a millisecond at the man beside her. She was about to hurry over to Jerek but quickly turned back around to the Pilot.

"Thank you," she said and hesitated before adding, "it was nice to see you again." Her father intentionally cleared his throat in annoyance, which she chose to ignore. It was only then that Maverick saw the recognition spread across the Pilots face. Maverick felt a stitch a disappointment as she gave him a weak smile before turning to meet her father's wrath. She stopped in front of Jerek and looked up into his eyes.

"Now I will never be able to show my face around here ever again, thanks to you." She didn't hide the bitterness from her voice.

"From here," Jerek said looking around the room before landing on something behind Maverick, "or him?" Maverick looked to where here fathers gaze was and saw the back of the retreating pilot.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Maverick seethed, turning back to her father. She jabbed a finger into his chest. "Just yesterday you were telling me to talk to men instead of beating them up. Also," the irritation in her own voice coming out, "I'm only late because you decided to have this meeting in a place you know I've rarely ever been to. Do _not_ blame this on that man because believe it or not, he was actually trying to help me."

Before her father could say anything else, Maverick brushed past him into the war room. Her entire team was seated around the large oval table, pretending that they didn't hear the exchange between her and Jerek. All ten pairs of eyes were looking down at the table like it was the most fascinating thing they have ever seen. All except for Lexa, who was Maverick's best and only friend on the base and who also happened to be her best stealth agent. She gave Maverick an inquiring look but Maverick only shook her head at her friend in response. She set her bag down on the table and pulled out her datapad. She pulled up her plans on her screen and then looked up to find everyone else had theirs pulled up as well. Good. Maverick was too anxious to sit so she stood as she began to go over their mission.

"Okay, everybody. Let's make this quick so we can stay on schedule. Sedrick is probably already on the Transport ready to go and I don't like to make my best pilot wait." Maverick couldn't help but glance up at her father, who only stood by the closed door in silence. "We'll be splitting up into four teams. Red Team – Kora, Mael, and myself – , Green Team – Joran, Kalen, Leo – , Blue Team – Norr, Haas, Lura – and our stealth, Shadow Team – Lexa, Oshnan, Stel." She looked up and everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"What we are doing today is heading to a planet that is not well known but recent intelligence has stated the pirates have been harboring fuel in a warehouse in the middle of nowhere. The warehouse is securely nestled in a clearing surrounded by the planets vast natural forest, which is a plus for us. The point of this mission is to find out _how_ these rascals are getting so much fuel and who they are selling it off to. Then, take out their operation, call Sedrick to com back to base that the fuel is secure for transport off the planet to D'Qar."

"Sedrick will land us a healthy distance away from the warehouse. From there, we will travel on foot to the target. We will end up on the southern end of the tree line, where Red team will stay and keep vigil from up high." Kora and Mael bumped fists because that meant they'd be up in the trees looking down, which was a vantage point Maverick preferred if possible. "Blue will flank off to the east side, staying within the tree line and then Green will flank to the west. All teams will report back to me with any activity they see. Once all is clear on our end, Shadow Team will get the go ahead to move into the building. Their job will be to report what we're going to be up against so we aren't storming in completely blind." Maverick looked up at Lexa.

"You and your team have been training separately for this. Are they ready?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Taught by the best." A smug smile spread over Lexa's face.

"Good. Once Shadow Team gives us the all clear, then all teams will move in from each side." Looking up, Maverick scanned each person before saying, "Then get ready to fight." All heads in the room gave her a quick nod and Maverick nodded back. "More will be said once we're close to landing." She turned off her datapad and put it away and then swung her bag over her shoulder. "Alright. Let's move!" Everyone grabbed their own packs and bags and filed in behind her. Maverick stopped before Jerek just as she was about to leave the war room. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She gave him a tight-lipped smile and then moved forward, letting his hand slip away. Maverick unclipped the com from her belt as she walked.

"Sedrick? You ready for us?"

"Been ready for what feels like a decade, girl." Maverick grinned and shook her head, clipping the com back to her belt.

Poe, seated back with his squadron, looked up to see a group of people walk out of the war room. They were being lead by the woman that he had just talked to. She held her bag in her hand and spoke into a com for a brief second. He had mentally kicked himself that he hadn't remembered her though she clearly had. He had the impulse to apologize and he quickly became impatient with the desire to fulfill that task which happened to him whenever he was on a mission. The people that followed were all dressed in combat gear and clothes and most held bags that looked heavy and full. Were they all part of a tactical team of some sort? Poe looked at the back of the woman ahead of them as they walked toward a portal that lead to the landing fields. The older man who had yelled for the woman walked out of the war room and followed the group at a distance. As Karé continued on with a story of her own, the hindrance of the apology and his own curiosity of this mysterious little group only grew.

"Hey, spare-parts-for-brains," Karé called out. It took Poe a moment to realize she was talking to him. He tore his eyes away from the group as they disappeared completely through the portal. Karé only looked over at him with mirth in her eyes and a smirk on her lips. "For all the confidence and arrogance you've got while flying, it sure is taking you a long time to get your ass up and go talk toa girl." The squad all laughed and even BB-8 beeped in agreement with the pilot.

"For the record, he did already talk to her. But she had to obey the commands of that scary guy," Jess said. "I think that may have been her father."

"Well scary father or not, we all know you've never had a hard time with this particular case before." Poe scoffed at her remark.

"I don't know Karé," said Snap, "did you see the look that 'scary' old man gave Poe when he came back here?"

"What? What look?" Poe asked, eyebrows drawing together. A series of beeps from BB-8 made everyone look down and burst out laughing, except for Poe. "'A look of death?' I think that's a little exaggerated Beebee." Poe ran a hand through his dark hair and got up from his seat. "You know what? I'm going to go get some fresh air. Just make sure the General gets that report."

"Sure thing, Black Leader," Jess said with laughter still in her voice.

Shaking his head Poe walked away from his group. They were the closest thing he had to family and knew they only had the best intentions. As Poe walked through the portal the group had gone through, BB-8 came rolling up beside his master and matched his pace. The droid beeped querulously as they made their way out of the portal and into the sunshine and humidity of D'Qar. Poe stopped and looked down at the droid. "Yeah Buddy, I know they aren't being serious. And no, I am not just coming out here to follow that girl." More blips. "Okay, yes, I admit there was something about her—" BB-8 let out an acknowledging squeal and rolled slightly in one direction. Poe looked up and saw the group was now loading onto a Resistance transport that had a cockpit similar to a B-Wing on one end and a heavy laser canon alongside a precision targeting laser on the other. Between the two was the civilian compartment that could hold up to about twenty or so people. Poe looked into the cockpit and recognized a B-Wing Pilot that he thought had retired from flying. The group helped each other load their bags into the ship and some settled into their seats. Poe saw the woman standing at the bottom of a gangplank, waiting for the rest of her people to board.

Maverick watched as her team loaded up into the transport. Sedrick was already firing up the engines, getting ready to take off once she was on board. She was relieved to not see Liam still waiting for her to emerge from the depths of the base. Once the last person boarded, she picked up her bag from the ground and began to walk up the gangplank. A calloused hand encased her own small one and she stopped to turn. He father stood there, the harsh sun of D'Qar making the wrinkles of time on his face seem more defined, showing his age. The look in his eyes was soft, not at all what they had been moments earlier.

"Be safe, Maverick. I didn't mean to doubt you earlier. I know that you can do this. I have all the confidence in the Galaxy in you and I'm sorry if it ever seemed otherwise. If anything should go wrong," her father stopped and looked at the ground. Jerek couldn't get his next words out. He didn't – wouldn't – lose her like he did his son and wife. Maverick placed a hand on his cheek and made him look up at her.

"I will always come back to you." She kissed him on the forehead before taking her hand away from his. She walked the rest of the way up the gangplank and set her bag down on an empty seat. She turned and place her had on the button to close the hatch and to look at her father one last time. Though before she pressed the button, a glimpse of orange and white caught her eye. She looked up and saw the custom BB astromech on the landing field, the Pilot standing next to it. Maverick let out a small bemused huff as she gave the Pilot a small solute with her hand and pressed the button to close the hatch. The hydraulics hissed and groaned as the gangplank raised up. Maverick saw the Pilot place both hands on his hips and the smile that formed on his face from where she still stood. Once the door locked shut, she called to Sedrick that they were ready to go and she moved her bag to the floor as she took her seat next to Shuri. Her friend elbowed her in the side and Maverick looked up. The corner of Lexa's mouth was quirked ever so slightly and her left eyebrow was raised.

"What are you so giddy about?" Marverick only then realized that she had been smiling the whole time since the hatch had cut off her sight of the Pilot. Maverick bit the inside of her cheek and she buckled herself in. The craft they were in buckled around them and rumbled slightly as they began their ascent.

"I'm just ready for this mission, that's all."

Lexa gave Maverick a skeptical look but didn't say another word. Instead, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Maverick let out a small exhale through her nose as she felt the jolt of the transport leaving D'Qar's atmosphere. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind as she repeated over and over again,

' _The mission, the mission, the mission'._


End file.
